A nonagenarian's vehicle to expound at nonspecific intervals on his opinions regarding politics-local to international, health care, life,society,and perhaps religion plus periodic vignettes about Plainfield N.J.
In addition to "blowing off",I am enjoying a second career as an amateur public advocate.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

BOE ELECTIONS

Once again I am postponing a continuation of my new Health Care laws and the impact on you, the patient.

Before I get into the subject of today's blog let me recall a little history of the Great Depression. People needed laughs and the most popular show was one that today would rightly be barred from the airways as being racially derogatory. Most Americans, white and blue collar, urban or rural, of those time were very insular and had no contact with African Americans so that the characters portrayed by the "Black face Comedians" in Amos and Andy filled a nationally popular erroneous concept of the Harlem population. Thus the situations they would get into were hilarious. Recent hit TV shows like 'Sandford and Son" or" George Lopez" which is of course a self parody"partially fill that ethnic comedy niche.

"One of the lead supporting characters in "Amos and Andy" was a local politician, lodge leader, con man called the 'Kingfish". His trademark was in his deep base voice the use of polysyllable erudite words when trying to take advantage of his less educated targets.

This day before the BOE elections and the vote on the school budget I am going to return to the BOE and in part to the Candidates. There are only three vacancies to be field and four seekers. One will have to be left out. I previously wrote that I would not make a recommendation and although I write positively but not enthusiastically about two whether you vote for them or not is your prerogative based on judgement.

There are three seats open, one at present held by Cathcart who is seeking reelection which we will return to later, one vacated by Edwards who was elected to fill a 1 year residual term as a member of the "SLAM" and the last one by Peterson who had years of administrative experience in the Edison system

Let us first focus on the District's Administrative and the supervising Board's records for the past decade:.; Since Leverett left in 2003 there have been including the present acting supervisor 6 individuals, some acting, filling that position; They were Melindo Persi, Paula Howard the only one who had a full appointment an d served less than 4 years. She was known for her expensive tastes at district expense such a s Gevalia Coffee. Shre was followed by Peter Carter (Interim),Bailley (Interim) and then Gallon. who was succeeded by the present acting Superintendent Anna Belin-Pyles. We have not even gone into the longevity of the school principals.

I would ask; How can any school district have any direction when there is a lack of continuity at the top administrative positions.. Without any knowledge of facts one would have to presume that this was a lack of cohesive purpose among Board membership during that period. The fact that there were multiple "tickets" at previous elections suggest political factions among the Board members with various agendas took precedent over understanding the role of a Board of Directors.

Be that as it may, two present sitting members of the BOE; Campbell and Barksdale were 2/3rds of the search committee that found Dr.Gallon. In their defense they did. use a known 'headhunter" and did do what they thought was due diligence by going to people where he was employed. One can not blame them for accepting 100% what they were told by those that must have wanted to rid themselves of that man. If they search the Internet for further information I do not know, but if they had something may have turned up.

Monday I received this comment to my post on the LWV forum from of course anonymous;"The slate that controls the BOE now got rid of Gallon, the incumbent supported every move Gallon made. That's all I need to know."

Sir you are in error;(1) A member of "The Slate" was part of the search committee that selected Gallon.(2) The BOE did not get rid of Gallon. They should have terminated him for cause when his improprieties led to an indictment. Or at least suspended without pay, but instead they finally reach a settlement after many months. What the total cost was including legal fees we will never be informed.

That Cathcart supported Gallon was not unique. If there is a record of anyone opposing the title changes and the employment of the Florida three let them show us the record. I will bet non exists. Thus you should not hold Cathcart's support of Gallon as a reason to not vote for him.

The choice should be who will be the best for the Board. Cathcart with his 9 years of experience and his avowed spot of expertise , or Mr Edache who was either evasive in his replies to the moderator's questions or only answered in generalities, or also a man who admitted that he had to learn the position. That would be OK but his part time affiliation as a real estate agent in a firm owned by Campbell's husband would cause me time for concerns.

When at the LWV forum when the time came for the Candidates to make there opening statements; Mr Hurtt to the initiative to defend the 'slate" by admitting that although they are running as one they held to their individual thoughts and would act accordingly.The question then becomes why did they need to be a slate?

There was a reason for my opening story; when I first heard Dr. Gallon address the Council at an Agenda setting session the minute he began to speak the memory of the Kingfish instantaneously came into my mind. I believe I so remarked in my blog However then I did not realize that he was the "Kingfish.".

6 comments:

To the Anonymous writer of the bigoted hate message, search your soul and see who is a bigot. You threaten me by name b ut don't have the guts to identify yourself. If you could read you will note that I wr ote that in the depression era of the 30s that show represented mass America's idea of the resident s of Harlem. This is the same age that made 'Stepinfetchit" and "Rochester" stereotype characters.I posted that vignette because that was my initial opinion of Gallon although I had great hopes that he would be a good leader. Sometimes an initial impression based on "gut feeling" turns out to be right.

If you would like to face me I will gladly acquaint you with my interracial record. I don't publicize it but i am personally proud of it.

3:05pm. There is only one person I know that "faces me all the time" but not as a rule anonymously. Your comment was too vile for thst person who I do have respect for.

You know of course that every coment the blog provider sends is identifiable by browser and modem so that the sender can be identified is anonymity need be breached. This is an example not a real address. "Verizon Internet Services (98.209.192.58)"

Sadly, the "sitcom " has been a staple on television for years but it was the racial construct of the time. In no way should anyone find the thematic thrust of the T.V. show as representative of American society. The fact remains that the protagonist in, "All in the Family" was a character depicting the white American family as led by racists, which is absurd. The problem is that in America we have allowed the racial construct to dominate the landscape; incorrectly I might add. Depicting American society solely as a country defined from a racial context is disingenuous. Now don't get me wrong, our country does have problems dealing with race but this country has grown and continues to do. Therefore; it is the strands of commonality that interconnects our nation and defines our greatness.

About Me

Over aged, Trying to be "the last angry man".about any and all improprieties of stated interest.For some unknown reason has been listed for years in various editions of "Who's Who"(America, World, Science)
I deny any responsibility for typos, spelling and poor punctuation. Hunt and peck has it faults. Speech transcribing does not seem to be the answer.
Enjoying a second career as a self appointed advocate for the public vz local government excesses.